The broadcaster and author Clare Balding chooses her favourite books. Her first novel for adults, "Pastures New" is out this week, and she will be at a series of events and signings at bookshops nationwide.
Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse
Anna Sewell, 1877
This is one that really affected me when I read it as a child. It delves into how humans treat animals – both kindly and cruelly – and really makes you think about our actions. As a child, I felt a unique bond with dogs and horses, often chatting with them as if we were having a two-way conversation. Honestly, I still believe dogs understand more than we realise.
After You’d Gone
Maggie O’Farrell, 2000
I struggled to get through this one because I was in tears the whole time. Maggie’s portrayal of grief is so incredibly authentic. I still get emotional just thinking about that moment when you wear a loved one’s shirt because it carries their scent, and the fear of that scent fading away.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A Woman of Substance
Barbara Taylor Bradford, 1979
I picked up this saga about a Yorkshire maid who founds a business empire as a teenager, and it really ignited my inner feminist. It inspired me to strive for financial independence and showed me that ambition is not a dirty word for women. It’s a message I still carry with me today.
How To Be a Woman
Caitlin Moran, 2011
Caitlin has a knack for making me laugh while tackling serious topics. I really wish I had discovered this gem in my teenage years, but honestly, it’s still just as relevant in my 50s.
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens, 1841
Love, social unrest, mob uprisings against the system, the lure of populism, and brilliant descriptions of poverty – this novel has it all. I have discovered Dickens late in life and this is one of my favourites.
Here One Moment
Liane Moriarty, 2024
I’m currently reading this and loving it. Liane has this wonderful talent for creating vivid characters with just a few strokes of her pen. Observant and funny, with some fantastic twists, it explores the idea that we’re all steering our own lives, even when it feels like things are out of our control.
Titles available at The Week Bookshop
-
October 19 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
Diane Keaton: the Oscar-winning star of Annie HallIn the Spotlight Something’s Gotta Give actor dies from pneumonia at the age of 79
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobilityThe Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
6 sporty homes with tennis courtsFeature Featuring a clay tennis court in New York and a viewing deck in California
-
Critics’ choice: Seafood in the spotlightFeature An experimental chef, a newspaper-worthy newcomer, and a dining titan’s fresh spin-off
-
Taylor Swift’s Showgirl: Much glitter, little goldFeature Swift’s new album has broken records, but critics say she may have gotten herself creatively stuck
-
Theater review: Masquerade218 W. 57th St., New York City 218 W. 57th St., New York City
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider WomanFeature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.
